Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. What is the ruling of masturbation in Ramadan? ما حكم الاستمناء في نهار رمضان؟

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.   Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.   As to what follows:   In response to your question, we say:     What is the ruling of masturbation during the day in Ramadan? There is no expiation due from a person who masturbates during the day in Ramadan, because expiation is only due after breaking fast during the day by sexual intercourse. Engaging in masturbation during the day in Ramadan invalidates fasting according to the general opinion of the scholars because it falls under what was stated in the hadith that was reported in the Sahihayn and transmitted by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah the Exalted says, "Allah says: '(The person observing Saum) has abstained from food and drink, and sexual pleasures for My sake “ [al-Bukhari (1894) and Muslim (1151)], and this includes fulfilling the desire through masturbation and emitting sperms, whether this is through looking, listening or physically masturbating and movement. All these things come under the nullifiers of fasting that were mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurairah. Thus a person should avoid masturbation and should take precautions to safeguard his religion and not be uninhibited. I am amazed by some people who give themselves an opportunity to watch and listen to prohibited things, engage in telephone calls and flirtation, then Satan gains control over them. Such a person lets his soul which commands him to do evil and his desire control him and he becomes a victim of this. He lets himself fall into evil, and he lures himself into committing sins.